Shoe bottom



Oct. 14, 1941. A A PARK-HURST. .2,259,322

SHOE BOTTOM Filed March 25, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 'I I l I I I I "I SHOE BorTToM Filed March 23, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 D d Lm l M., WQ i I. a 9 E lfw MW. 7 .e E( ow 1 y H* i T E M n l md f 0 T mM/WM@ o/of/ x E @I Lm Q Wu :L14 /O y, w

Oct. 14, 1941. F. A. YPARKHuRsT SHOE BOTTOM Filed March 23, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 14, 1941 ICE SHOE BOTTOM Frederic A. Parkhurst, Suield, Conn., assigner to Monsanto Chemical Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Application March 23, 1939, Serial No. 263,620

Claims.

This invention relates to the bottoms of boots and shoes and has for an object to provide a light and inexpensive shoe bottom comprising a shank,

outsole and heel all of which parts can be readilymolded by well known means and methods from suitable plastic materials and thereafter combined into a unitary structure of attractive ap-y pearance and great durability.

' More or less satisfactory molded plasticboot and shoe heels have heretofore been' produced, but-it has been found extremely diillcult, if not impossible, to attach them to conventional shoes with the requisite security,.since the nails orl screws commonly employed for' this purpose are unsuited to the attachment of heels of this character. The present invention has for one of its objects the provision of a shoe bottom structure including a molded plastic heel securely attached in such manner that it will be retained in proper position throughout the llife of the shoe.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, together with means whereby the vlatter may be carried into eect, will best be understood from the following description of certain forms or embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, these, however, having been chosen for purposes of exemplication merely, it

being obvious that the invention, as defined by the claims hereunto appended, `may be otherwise embodied without departure from the spirit n and vscope thereof.

In said drawings: t l Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a bottom l, plan view, -both partly broken away, of a shoe shank element constitutingA one feature of the present invention.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sections taken substantially on the lines 3 3, 4 4 and 5 5, respectively, of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation and Fig. 7 a bottom plan view of a somewhat similar shank member combined with an outsole member.

Fig. 7a is a section taken substantially on the line 12v-1a, Fig. 7.

Fig. 8 s'a side elevation, partly in section of a shank member similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 having a heel attached-thereto, and embodied in a shoe.' l

Fig. 9 is a section, partly broken away, taken substantially on Vthe line 9 9, Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a ,sideelevation, partly in section,-

of the unit shown in Figs. 6 and 7, combined with a heel of a somewhat different construction from that shown in Figs. 8;and 9, and embodied in a shoe.

Fig. 11 is a section, partly broken away, taken substantially on `the line Il l I', Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal section showing an integrally united shank and heel.

Fig. 13 is a similar view of a complete unitary shoe bottom including an integrally united heel, shank. and sole, the construction of the heel and sh'ank being slightly different. I

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, there is shown at i 5 a shoe shank member die cast or molded in accordancewith well-known methods from a suitable plastic material or composition, having the requisite strength, durability and hardness, such, for example, as cellulose acetate molding compos'itions, molding resins, the vinyl acetals and chlorides, styrene, etc. The said shank member is formed with a heel seat portion I l and has molded and. embedded therein a stiilening member Il preferably comprising a strip of perfo rated sheet steel. The heel seat portion I6 in the construction shown is adapted to cooperate with and have attached thereto a molded plastic heel of the general character more fully described in a co-pending application Afilled March 23, 1939, Serial No. 263,619. Said heel, as shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 12, comprises a shell Il molded in a suitable shape from plastic material simi- Ilar to that of which the shank I5 is composed, said shell having in its bottom a socket I9 to receive and retain the shank 20 of a topli't 2| likewise molded from a similar compomtion. At its upper or heel seat end, with interior upright integral reinforcing or stiffening ribs 22, and said shell is further reinforced and stiffened by'a vertical transverse web 40, said web further acting to stiifen and reinforce the socket I9, and being preferably J'oinedat-at least one end to one of the ribs 22. The heel seat portion IB of the shank I5 is formed with recesses 23 to receive the projections formed by the upper ends of the ribs 22 and is further provided with a projection in the form of a pair of parallel ribs 24 forming between them a recess or groove 25 to receive the upper projecting edge of the 'web 40 which is thereby embraced by the said ribs, The' interengaging recesses and projections -on the heel and the heel seat portion of the shank I5 interlock with one another to prevent relative lateral movement of the' former on the latter, so that by securing the parts together into a unitary structure, as by the use of a suitable cement or by softening the engaging surfaces by a suitable solvent, the heel will be securely .fastened to the shank` and become a substantially integral part thereof.

the shell I8 is formed cured, as by cementing or welding, to the In Figs. 10, 1l and 13 is shown a modified form vof heel shell Ia in which the ribs-22 and web 40 are omitted, although a short reinforcing web 26 for the walls of the socket I9 which receives the toplift shank is preferably provided. In this form of the invention the heel seat portion lia of the shank is formed with a rabbeted groove or marginal recess 23a to receive ,the projecting upper edge 22a of the heel shell lBa which is cemented or welded therein as above described.

It will be observed that in each of the forms above described, and whether or not the ribs 22,

web 40, recesses 23, and groove 25 are employed, the molded heel seat portion of thevshank includes an integral projecting portion which is received within the open top of the heel shell and is, at least in part, enclosed and engaged by the upper rim of the latter to which it is united to 'form a strong, rigid, and substantially integral y similar to that in which the heel is secured to the shank, namely, by cementlng or welding by means of a solvent. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the outsole member 21 underlies the forward portion of the shank lia andabuts atvits rear end against a shoulder 28 formed in the forward edge of the heel seat portion l6a of the latter. If desired, a short tap sole member 29 may be provided, as shown in Fig. 8, and suitably seforward end of the shank member I5.

The construction above described is such that the heel with its reinforcing elements and toplift receiving socket. the shank with its stiifener and heel seat portion shapedcomplementary to the contiguous portions of the heel, and the sole,

may be conveniently molded separately, and/ y thereafter when assembled and cemented pr. otherwise secured together-as above described'to form a substantially integral complete shoe bottom which can be applied as a unit to a of any suitable type and whose parts, when infime, are securely bonded together against possib e integration.

I claim:

1. In a boot or shoe, a shank composed of molded plastic material and havingA a stiffening dismember embedded therein and a heel seat portion, and a heel likewise composed of molded plastic material and secured to said heel seat porgtion, said heel seatrportion and heel having a plurality of interengaging recesses and projections united to one another and principal means of attachment of said heel to said seat portion. l

2. In a boot-or shoe, a hollow molded plastic heel having an open top, and a molded plastic shank including a heel seat portion having an integral projection received within the open top of said heel, said projection having a recess, and said heel having an integral interior` projection received in said recess and said heel engaging constituting the A and inter-mung said heel seat portion at its edges.

3. In a boot or shoe, a hollow molded plastic heel having an open top, and a molded plastic shank including -a heel seat portion having a plurality of integral projections receivedwithin the open top of said heel, said heel. having an integral interior projection interiitted between the projections on said seat portion and said heel engaging and interiltting said heel seat portion at its edges. t 4. Ina boot or shoe, a hollow molded plastic heel having an open top, and a molded plastic shank including a heel seat portion including an integral projection received within the open top of said heel and enclosed and engaged by the latter, said heel having interior reinforcing projections, and said heel seat portion having recesses within which said projections are received.

5. In a boot or shoe, a shank composed of molded plastic material and having a heel seat portion, and a heel comprising a hollow shell of molded plastic material and having interior reinforcing ribs, said heel seat portion having recesses to receive the ends of said ribs.

6. In a boot or shoe, a shank composed of molded plastic material and having a heel seat portion, and a heel comprising a hollow shell of molded plastic material and having a transverse reinforcing web, said heel seat portion having a groove in which the adjacent edge of said web is received.

7. In a, boot or shoe, ashank composed of molded plastic material .and having a heel seat portion, and a heel comprising a hollow shell of molded plastic material and having interior re- A inforcing ribs and a transverse reinforcing web,

molded plastic material and having a heel seat portion, and a heel comprising a hollow shell of molded plastic material and having interior re' inforcing ribs and a transverse reinforcing web, joined at at least one end to one of said ribs, said heel seat portion having recesses to receive the ends of said ribs and a groove in which the adjacent edge of said web is received.

9. In a boot or shoe, a shank composed -oi molded plastic material and having a heel seat portion, and a heel comprising a hollow shell of molded plastic material and having a transverse reinforcing web, said heel seat portion having a pair of parallel ribs embracing between them the adjacent edge of said web.

10. A boot or shoe having a bottom comprising a shank composed of molded plastic material and having a stiffeningmember embedded therein and a heel seat portion, an outsole also composed of molded plastic material, and a heel likewise composed of molded plastic material, said heel seat portion and heel having integral interengg- ,ing recesses and projections united to FREDERIC A. PARKHU'RST. 

